St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-22
The Loss of The Helen Mar.

Before entering upon the SCranSe
narrative which the entreaties OF a Jew
friends, already cognizant OF the facts,
and strong sense ofduty have finally
impelled me to make public, l wish to
say that / am not now, nor ever have
been an unduly superstitious man.
Still am convinced, both from GER
tain events within my own experience,
and from others that have been re-
lated to me by persons of undoubted
veracity, that the ordinary sequence
of natural cause and effect is some
times violated in manner totally IN
applicable to human reason.
The following particulars OF the
laundering of the ship "Helen Mar"
off the Bermudas are facts that came
under my own personal observation,
and I relate them in the hope OF there
by clearing myself, as officer of the
deck at that time Of the Inflated YES
sci, from the charge Of mismanage-
ment which has been laid at my door.
Being the sole survivor of the disas-
ter, l am the sole witness as to the
strange cause oft, and I am we'll aware
that my attempt at explanation will
be received by many with incredulity
and derislon.
On the 18th day OF august, 1869, the
New England whaling barque Helen
Mar, of which 1 was then second
mate, put into the port OF Pernam-
buco to take up letters which awaited
US in the hands of the ships agent.
We expected to run thence to Bermu-
da to receive our supplies, and there
fore did not come to anchor; but wind
and weather being favorable, laid "off
and on" outside heharbor. My boat
was told off to convey the captain
ashore, and we lowered from the ship
just after sunrise, intending to finish
our business so as to get aboard and
make sail again in the afternoon. Our
supply OF vegetables had run short.
and the captain was anxious to make
Bermuda as soon as possible to re-.
plenish it. On arriving at the wharf,
the captain directed me to leave
man in charge of the boat, and,
taking the rest of the crew with
me, to 60 into the town and endeav-
or to find three or four men will
ing to ship, to fill the places of those
who had deserted at our last port.
We accordingly separated soon after
landing, and l proceeded up the broad
street that fronts the harbor, knowing
that my chances of success were great
er there owing to the proximity of the
| shipping and numerous boarding
houses and rumshops frequented by
seamen. soon succeeded in finding
two men, deserters from an English
merchant-man, and dispatched them
| to the Office of the American consul,
where the captain was employed at
that hour.
Desiring to find a third man I
turned into a garishly furnished
grog-shop that seemed a like
ly place for my purpose.
Upon entering 1 found myself in a
spacious hall at the farther end OF
which stood bar, presided over by a
sinister-iooking Portuguese. To my
surprise the walls were hung round
with cages containing parrots, macaws
and other native birds, and the air
was filled with their discordant cries.
In the centre of the hall was stout
pillar at the base of which was tied q
| large, Notwithstanding baboon, that
tugged at his chain and CRASHED his
long, sharp teeth in g. way anything
but reassuring to customers. Stand
ing listlessly over this uninviting brute,
and apparently quite needless OF its
teeth and claws stood a tall,
swarthy-looking fellow, evident:
ly a Malay, who regarded
me with looks of eager interest. He
was a typical specimen Of his race, and
was clad in loose whit garment, con-
fined at the waist by a red sash; a
sort of turban was wound about his
head and from his ears dangled pair
of large silver crescents. Seeing me in
conversation with the BARTENDER, he
gradually sided up, and after learn
ing that / was an officer of the whaler
asked me if wished to ship any men.
l said that did, and finding that time
was growing short, agreed to take him
without further parley. We proceeded
to the consul's Office, and ne was there
enrolled as a. member of the ship
crew. The captain being anxious to
get aboard again, led the way to the
boat, and, with our new men, we were
soon under way to the vessel. The
mate, seeing us approach, shortened
sail, Stacked off his head sheets, and
shove the vessel to-" for us, and we
soon boarded her.
We then made sail again. and had
the satisfaction of seeing that my Ma
lay was practied seaman, and as ac-
tive as a cat about the rigging. Aft
er we had been three days out, one OF
the foremost hands came to me and
reported that the Malay was so ill as
to be unable to GO on watch, adding
that he thought he had the fever
Alarmed by this intelligence proceed
ed Immediately to the forecastlet to ex-
anime the man. found him stretch.
ed out upon a couple OF sea chests
directly under the open scuttle and
saw from the CHASTITY color of the
mans face that he was seriously ill.
He showed marked symptoms of the
yellow fever, which is often prevalent
in Pernambuco. / Immediately re-
ported the case to the captain
and the mate, who ridiculed my
fears, declaring that ''the-lazy Mig
ger was only Sinking duty, and that
the taste of ropes end would soon
bring him round" They both went
for ard and in few moments, to my